Deva Premal chants Gayatri Mantra to the Teen Talking Circles girls

Deva Premal and Miten meet with members of the Girl's Talking Circle of Bainbridge Island to share about their own teen years. During the meeting, they shared the Gayatri Mantra with everyone. Miten, on guitar; Deva chanting and their friend Manose, a Nepalese rock star with the band 1974AD, is on bansari flute. For more information about Teen Talking Circles, go to www.teentalkingcircles.org, www.girlscircles.org, or www.womenscircles.net copyright Linda Wolf & Teen Talking Circles

Gayatri Mantra (27 Repetitions)

Revered by both Buddhists and Hindus worldwide. It is considered to be a supreme vehicle for gaining spiritual enlightenment.

The Entire Mantra says, "I invoke the Earth Plane, The Astral Plane, The Celestial Plane, The Plane of Spiritual Balance, The Plane of Human Spiritual Knowledge, The Plane of Spiritual Austerites, and The Plane of Ultimate Truth. Oh, great Spiritual Light which is the brilliance of all Divinity, we meditate upon You. Please illumine our minds." http://www.gayatrimantra.net

Origin:

Rishis selected the words of the Gayatri Mantra and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power of righteous wisdom through their utterance. The ideal times for chanting the mantra are three times a day - at dawn, mid-day, and at dusk. These times are known as the three sandhyas - morning, mid-day and evening. The maximum benefit of chanting the mantra is said to be obtained by chanting it 108 times. However, one may chant it for 3, 9, or 18 times when pressed for time. The syllables of the mantra are said to positively affect all the chakras or energy centres in the human body - hence, proper pronunciation and enunciation are very important. In general, Brahmarishi Vishwamitra is credited as the mantra-dhrishta(Mantra was revealed to him) of the Gayatri Mantra.

Gayatri Mantra is devoted to God Savitr. Savitr refers to Sun. Sun here does not imply the sun of our solar system. Rather it implies a Sun of all suns. Sun that is the source of eternal light that provides life, knowledge and enlightenment. Light that can illuminate the soul.

By many Hindus, the Gayatri is seen as a Divine awakening of the mind and soul, and within it a way to reach the most Supreme form of existence, and the way to Union with Brahman. Understanding, and purely loving the essence of the Gayatri Mantra is seen by many to be one, if not the most powerful ways to attain God.

Like all other Mantras of Rigveda, Gayatri Mantra is full of praise for the God or Savitr. The beauty of this mantra is that after praising the God, we have admitted that we do not know any better. We are seeking the knowledge to know Him better.

Why should women not chant Gayatri Mantra [Some warn women shouldn't so use your own discretion]

According to Late Shri T. S. Ramabathrachariar of Mukkur: It is widely believed that some of the Vedic Versus vibrations are so powerful in nature. Once a woman starts chanting these versus regularly, she is likely to lose her female-hood character and get manly tendencies developed in physical appearance . In majority of cases, it might cause hormone disturbances in the body's physical mechanism and disturb their menstrual cycle. In rare cases, a woman who chants these slokhas and versus frequently, even develops masculine character which allows growth of hair in their face & mustache! Imagine, if every woman developed such growth!

It is a fact that to keep women in their natural glory and beauty, the ancient scholars did not allow them to chant or recite these versus. They knew precisely all the effects and side effects of what they did. However, they were allowed to do so once they cross their menopause stage, then the chances of disturbances in their body mechanism were minimal. Also the Gland functional in their body stops, at certain age - any further physical growth is minimal. Certainly it was not for any discriminations but purely on the aforesaid reasons and points.

Gayatri Mantra Invocation

Om, we meditate on the spiritual brightness of that most adorable divine Sun, the source of the three planes of existence: the physical, the subtle, and the causal. May this Divine Source enlighten our minds.

The Gayatri is one of the most well known and ancient Vedic mantras, of which volumes have been written. The great Swami Sivananda said: Gayatri makes one powerful and highly intelligent. Gayatri eventually gives liberation or emancipation from the wheel of birth and death. (From his book: "Japa Yoga")

May you all be blessed in your Gayatri Mantra practice! This recording is available on the CD: "Mantra Darshan" :

Gayatri mantra, Devi the Goddess

Originally the personification of the mantra, the goddess Gāyatrī is considered the veda mata, the mother of all Vedas and the consort of the God Brahma and also the personification of the all-pervading Parabrahman, the ultimate unchanging reality that lies behind all phenomena. Gayatri Veda Mata is seen by many Hindus to be not just a Goddess, but a portrayal of Brahman himself, in the feminine form.

OM GIVEN TO US BY RAJA RISHI VISHWAMITRAR,FIRSTLY RECITED BY HIM TO THE LORD,

Gayatri is a Mantra(vedic hymn) which inspires righteous wisdom its meaning is that the Almighty God may illuminate our intellect which may lead us to righteous path. This is most important teaching. All the problems of a person are solved if he is endowed with the gift of righteous wisdom. Having endowed with far sighted wisdom, a man is neither entangled in calamity nor does he tread wrong path. Righteous wisdom stars emerging as soon as a methodical recitation of this Mantra is performed.

"May we meditate on the Glory of the Lord, the Remover of pains and sorrows, the Bestower of happiness, Who has created the universe, and Who is the embodiment of knowledge and light. May the Lord, enlighten our intellect in the right direction by destroying all our sins and ignorance." The Gayatri Mantra is the form of eternal truth. It is the heart of all beings and the eternal Ved Mantra.

Gayatri destroys the sins of the world. All the four Vedas have originated from this mantra: This can be translated: Aum. Let us contemplate the spirit of the divine of the earth, the atmosphere and heaven. May that inspire our minds. Savitri is the Sun and this mantra is recited at the three junctions or twilight of the day. Here is described how the mantra Aum hums in the base or Muladhara chakra, and moves through seven stages to the chakra above the head Sahasrara.

Maha Vishnu describes Aum as consisting of the following. Bhur is existence, Bhuvah is the elements, Svah is the Atma of everything, Maha is greatness and light, Tat is Brahman (the absolute). Tapah is all knowledge, Satyam is supremacy and internal wisdom. This tantra connects the three letters of Aum to the seven worlds.

Tat, refers to the first cause of all substance, as fire in the circle of the sun and is supreme Brahman. Savituhu is the source of all living beings. Varenyam is the excellent one who receives adoration.

Bharga destroys sin. Devasya means it is full of light, while Dheemahi refers to knowledge being golden and always within the sun. Dhiyo means Buddhi. Yo stands for energy (tejas).

In Bhavanopanishad, one witness within oneself the effulgent figure of Divine Mother with the different phases of the waxing and waning Moon. The Devi is to be meditated upon as of a ruddy complexion, with eyes expansive, as an ocean overflowing with waves of grace, with noose, goad, arrows of flowers and a twig of sugar- cane in her hand, surrounded by Anima and other deities and ultimately as one´s own self.

Shanti Mantra

The shanti mantra is a peace prayer. Shanti is the Sanskrit word for peace. This Sanskrit prayer originates from the Yajur Veda. The Vedas are the most ancient and revered Hindu Scriptures. Click on the link to learn more about the Shanti Mantra, peace prayer.

Shanti Mantra, Vedic Mysticism, Devine Music, Pandit Jasraj

The Shanti Mantras or "Peace Mantras" are Hindu prayers for peace (Shanti) from the Vedas. Generally they are recited at the beginning and end of religious rituals and discourses. Shanti Mantras are found in Upanishads, where they are invoked in the beginning of some topics of Upanishads. They are supposed to calm the mind of reciter and environment around him/her. Reciting them is also believed to be removing any obstacles for the task being started.

Shanti Mantras always end with three utterances of word "Shanti" which means "Peace". The Reason for uttering three times is for calming and removing obstacles in three realms which are :

1. "Physical" or Adhi-Bhautika

2. "Divine" or Adhi-Daivika

3. "Internal" or Adhyaatmika

According to the scriptures of Hinduism sources of obstacles and troubles are in these three realms.

Physical or Adhi-Bhautika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from external world, such as from wild animals, people, natural calamities etc.

Divine or Adhi-Daivika realm can be source of troubles/obstacles coming from extra-sensory world of spirits, ghosts, deities, demigods/angels etc.

Internal or Adhyaatmika realm is source of troubles/obstacles arising out of ones own body and mind, such as pain, diseases, laziness, absent-mindedness etc.

These are called "Tapa-Traya" or three classes of troubles. When Shanti mantras are recited, obstacles from these realms are believed to be pacified.